


Young Singer of the Year

by Chatringer



Category: Ann Robinson - Noel Streatfield, Gemma - Noel Streatfeild, The Marlows - Antonia Forest
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-12-01 00:31:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11474844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chatringer/pseuds/Chatringer
Summary: A follow-on from Sally Haywood's Spring Term





	Young Singer of the Year

Ann Robinson had become a pop star by accident. She had sung in her church choir since she was quite young, and had sung solos with them and at concerts organised by her violinist father, Philip. She had no ambitions beyond this, but then her cousin Gemma came to live with them while her film-star mother was in America. Gemma had been a child star, and at first found it hard to be just ‘ordinary’. Then Ann’s grandmother had suggested that Gemma should form some sort of group for a concert organised by Alice, Gemma’s aunt-by-marriage. Lydia, Ann’s younger sister, was a talented dancer, and their brother Robin arranged folk tunes in a way he called ‘swirled’. The group was a great success and eventually appeared on a Talent contest on TV. Although they didn’t win, a record producer heard them and signed them up, but in the end it was just Ann who appeared on the record, which was one of her brother’s arrangements. Ann was devastated to learn that she was committed to making more records as she hated the public performances, but she had no choice and after a while accepted her fate, helped by the knowledge that the money she earned was doing a lot of good; it paid for her sister’s ballet training in London and she gave a large amount to a musical charity for mentally handicapped children. She still had no long-term ambitions to continue as a popstar, though; she was an intelligent girl who realised that the life expectancy of most pop stars was less than five years, so was going to make as much as she could for a few years and then go to Oxford University which was a long-standing ambition of hers.  
The invitation to help judge BBC Radio 3’s Young Singer of the Year came as a bit of a surprise, considering her records were played exclusively on Radio 1, but she supposed someone had remembered her church choir background. She had heard some of the earlier rounds on the radio and had been impressed by the standard of many of the competitors, so she had been happy to accept. So here she was, in London, being feted by the BBC and slightly self-consciously chatting to the other judges, all of them quite well known in the classical music field. They all had teenage children, though, so they knew who she was, and one of them had even asked for her autograph!  
The concert hall as nearly full now, with 15 minutes to go before the start of the competition. The contestants, six of them, filed into their seats in the front row. The judges were up in a box to the side of the stage, so had a good view of them. Some looked nervous, but Ann noticed one in particular, a fair haired girl of 14 or 15, who looked very calm and composed, even though she seemed to be one of the youngest. She was sitting next to a small man with a crooked shoulder, and Ann recognised him straight away; Dr Herrick, who had, five years ago, spent a sabbatical term at Headstone University to work with the various choirs in the town. He had made a lasting impression on her as sessions with her own choir had brought about a dramatic improvement in their singing. If he had coached this girl, she had to be in with a good chance.  
The first three singers were all good, naturally, but Ann thought that none of them were exceptional. Then it was the fair haired girl’s turn. Ann was immediately impressed by the clarity and quality of her voice, soaring effortlessly on the high notes. Her voice reminded Ann of her brother Robin, who as well as composing swirled pop tunes was a soloist at St Giles church in Headstone. It was the sort of voice which sent shivers down your spine and Ann had no doubt that this was the winning voice. The final two competitors were nothing out of the ordinary. And she was glad that her co-judges agreed with her that Competitor Number 4 was the clear winner. Miss Nicola Marlow.


End file.
